Aloren
Aloren is the site of the former Triumviral and UJR capital, Miji Mkuu. Once an independent kingdom, it was conquered by Woodwind and adopted into the Ignato Empire before becoming part of the Triumvirate. In the mid-sixth century, following the collapse of the Union of Radurjic Republics, it was revived as a kingdom in its own right, as a vassal of the Kingdom of the Isles. Geography Aloren is mostly deep jungle, similar in many aspects to the lands of Genivana to the south but with great cliffs along its shore and a high elevation above the sea. Its tall trees that tower over the landscape inland keep much of the lower level vegetation stunted or bare. The deep jungle was long feared by the native peoples of Aloren, rumored as home to monsters and danger, not least of which were the Kobolds whom were long feared by the humans of Aloren. It was believed the Kobolds of the Jungle lived inside the trees or rocks and would steal the children of any foolish enough to enter their terrain. For this reason the major human settlements are settled on the craggy coast of Aloren. Deep within the center of the Aloren interior is Heaven’s Blade, the tallest point in all of Aloren and visible even from the craggy shore above the massive trees the mountain has for centuries been a marker of the deep interior of Aloren and serves as a post for the border between Aloren and Calorum. In the year 395 the mountain was blasted through by strikes of fire from the Blazing Mountain to Shengdi, putting a hole through the great mountain that scraped the sky for centuries. Though it still stands with its point rumbling has been heard by those who have ventured to it and most speculate the tip of the mountain will collapse into a crater in the coming decades and Heaven’s Blade shall be broken. The coast is not much friendlier to habitation than the jungle. It consists of steep cliffs that drop to the sea, dire reefs, and tall, sharp rocks that jut from the depths. Though Alorese live on the sea, the only resources they have ever taken from it are fish - which they cook into spectacular dishes for which they are famous. However, their main livelihood is goatherding. Almost as famous as their fish, the goats that live along the jagged coast are known around the world for their strength, their stubbornness, and, most of all, their milk. The milk of Alorenic goats tastes rich and creamy, like the ideal of cow's milk, and is their main export to the outside world, aside from furs, leathers, and copies of their most famous sagas. People The people of Aloren are generally believed to be related to the Woodwind, Genivanan, and Grizzland humans of the regions to their north and south who are themselves believed to be related to the native populations of southern territories of Salterri heritage. Dark skinned, and relatively tall, with men averaging 1.75-1.85 Pryonic Meters and women around 1.65-1.75 Pryonic Meters in height. The Aloren people generally have dark eyes, though green eyes are not unheard of. Historically Aloren was a rather backwards region through its development and the rising of powers around it. Its unfriendly terrain and lack of unique resources pushed it low on the list of high priority targets. The people however, benefitted greatly from the lack of attention from outsiders. Though growing superstitious and somewhat conservative in their seclusion the Alorese people also began to develop a written language faster than their strife filled neighbors and so too began to develop strong ties with literature and the poetic word becoming storytellers and poets as other regions worked towards conquest and consolidation. The tradition of literary pursuit is strong within Aloren and the focus on expanding the mind and the recording of stories historic and fictional helped thrust Aloren into a position of cultural importance in both the Ignato Empire and the Triumvirate. Settlements Though most historic human settlements stayed along the rocky coast a decreasing fear of the jungle and the advancements of joining the Triumvirate has seen Aloren expand into it inland area, most notably at the city of Miji Mkuu. Miji Mkuu is the capital city of the Triumvirate and lies at a bend in the Nadanada that marks the shared border between Aloren, Genivana, and Hrathan-Tuor. Borrowing heavily from Genivanan Architecture due to its deep jungle position the city of Miji Mkuu is grander than any other city in the Triumvirate and perhaps the world in size and scope. It is dominated by grand spires that rise above even the tall jungle trees of Aloren and grant an unfettered view over the city and the jungle surrounding it. The center of the city lies squarely on the agreed upon border of the three provinces and the main plaza square marks this spot clearly. In the area that would fall within Aloren the Senate Building stands facing inward on the north side of the square and sprawled behind it are the various administrative buildings and offices of the Senators behind whom are the houses of the Senators and their families. Facing the square on the east side is the Triumviral Reserve which dominates and centers the Financial District behind it, a sprawling landscape of money lenders, money changers, Guild Offices, and the homes of guild leaders and their families. Facing in on the west side of the square is the Msikiti wa Asili Mkuu, the Grand Temple of Radurja, which houses the Shahidi Mkuu and the Chuo wa Mashahidi as well as serving as a training ground for mashahidi and a worship site for all followers of Radurja. Along the coast a majority of minor villages and towns dot the landscape, but none are large enough to be given names outside local custom save one, Kalyn’s Keep. Kalyn’s Keep, despite its name, is not solely a keep and is in fact the largest native population center from the time before Aloren’s joining with the Ignato Empire or the Triumvirate. Named after one of Aloren’s historic Kings who supposedly built the Keep, the city is small compared to the inland Miji Mkuu but it holds a place of historical and cultural importance and it is within Kalyn’s Keep the Chancellor of Aloren makes his official home, despite spending much time in Miji Mkuu. The city is squat, clung to the side of the cliffs as it is, and is encircled by a short wall. The Keep itself is made of stone and is the largest structure in the city. Though rougher than more modern architecture it has an amount of charm and finesse that makes it a fitting place for the royal line of Aloren. The houses surrounding it are simple and small in comparison to those of Miji Mkuu, but made of solid stone and housing historic nobles of the region for centuries ensures they are always well populated. Founded in times before Aloren became a member of the greater international world, the Enclave of Existence exists as an institution devoted to the greater understanding of the mind, both mentally and metaphysically. Originally founded to study the purported latent psionic powers of individuals chosen by the scholar and founder of the Enclave, Far Walker Aryn Malstaean, the Enclave’s goals and intents shifted towards more widely accepted academic practices as the pursuits of psionic powers was deemed a dead end field and Far Walker Malstaen grew too old to continue his studies. Nevertheless, the founder’s penultimate work, the tome Mind and Body stands within the Enclave’s library as a valuable and important historical document and some scholars who come to study at the Enclave still pursue the works of the Enclave’s founder though none have ever reported much if any success. Scholar Ragnar Aelestyn’s work, The Draconomicon is also highly revered and until the recent addition of K’Braashriix to the Triumvirate still stood as the most complete body of work concerning kobolds. Though smaller than many other institutes of higher learning across Telluris the Enclave boasts a broad curriculum of mostly self-guided study that sees a fair amount of lawyers, scholars, and researchers produced from those who seek education within its walls. Recently, religious influences from Radurja have also crept into the Enclave and study and practice with Osuro has led to a resurgence of studies into the power of psionics and the mind. Religion The people of Aloren are devout followers of Radurja, their patron Radurjic spirit being an adapted god from their ancient druidic beliefs, Yrrmindel. The people of Aloren are so devoted to their faith that a Holy Order, the Taratibu wa Yrrmindel, was founded in the region. The Order serves as a small Radurjjic monastery where Wapagni Watafiti, warrior monks devoted to Radurja and the Shahidi Mkuu, are trained. : An Excerpt From the Radurjic Codex Dated in the Year 370 : Aloren Religious Beliefs : ''The Old Man in the Forest, The Springing Kid, The Great Oak, all names for the chief spirit within the province of Aloren. Known as Yrrmindel by the native druids the spirit serves as a representative of nature within the Aloren faith system. Taking on three faces, Yrrmindel is represented within art most often in the form of the Old Man or the Great Oak (sometimes fused together) and is only rarely seen in the form of the Springing Kid, a young goat full of life and energy. Radurjan scholars were initially unsure whether this was the same spirit at all but discussions with converted druids have revealed this to be the case. Whatever his form the spirit is placed at the top of any sort of Aloren pantheon that might be drawn. Representing the harsh brutality of nature and that nature within man as well as the sustenance and life wrought by nature Yrrmindel serves a primary force as a teacher within Aloren. He is said to give wise counsel and advocate peace and coexistence as well as preparedness in dealing with threats from outside. Yrrmindel is slow to act and slower still to anger, though provocation draws from him all the ferocity of nature. He is said to grant worthy followers the power of the wilds and is prayed to by travelers for protection within his wild domain.''http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17703076&postcount=27 Resources The three primary resources of Aloren are: Fish, Goats, and Timber. Due to the thick jungles and the nature of her soil mining is impractical in Aloren. Thus all metals must be imported. References Category:Regions Category:Capital Regions Category:Regions of Telluris Category:Capital Regions of Telluris